Thursday, August 13, 2015

Tandem Bike

Last weekend we visited Prescott AZ for our 41st anniversary. Had a great time except for one thing.
The motel we stayed at The Motor Lodge ( I highly recommend it) had bikes that visitors could use. Judy has long held the idea that a tandem bike would be pretty cool, so we borrowed one to go to breakfast at a cafe called "The Local" (again, I highly recommend it).

Now, I've been riding bikes since I was about 4 years old, and I am comfortable on mountain and road bikes, spent years commuting by bike, and have been avidly mountain biking for over 20 years. Nothing prepared me for the balancing issues of 60 lbs of bike, and about 350 lbs (mostly me) of human. Couple that with a slightly kinked front rim and two very different types of riders and it made for more excitement than I would have chosen.

We made it to the cafe in one piece, had a nice breakfast, then headed back toward the motel. about a block from the cafe there is a downward sloping right curve that we started coasting down just as a dump truck entered the curve going the same way. No we didn't crash, but rounding that curve, wobbling all over and afraid to hit the brake with that kinked rim, was a life passing before my eyes moment. Until the truck finished going by I was muttering, "F&$% F&$% F&$% F&$% F&$%!!" Muttering might not be the most descriptive verb I could use, but I'll just go with it. With Judy behind me on the bike and the noise of the truck, I don't thing she heard any of it, although I did explain later.

As far as I'm concerned, that was the last time I ever get on a tandem for any reason, Period.